Welded article and method of making the same



arch 4, 1952 F. A. GRUETJEN WELDED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Sept. 3.2, 1945 Patented Mar. 4, 1952 WELDED ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Frederick A. Gruetjen, Milwaukee,.Wis., assignor to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis.,v a corporation of New York Application September 12, 1945, Serial No. 615,734

6 Claims. l

This invention relates toa welded article and methodv oi making theV same and has particular reference to an article that'V is formed of'Y two circular members withV parts of generally conical shape and butt welded together by ilash` welding or the like.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings andr described herein as applied' to the construction of a hot water tank provided with a. corlesion-protecting lining of ceramic enamel or the like and inwhich it is necessary to eilectively seal thejoint areas between the heads and shell. O-ne of the objects ofthe invention is tovprovide a flash welded joint which is automatically sealed against iluid contact therewith onone side as in the case ofv a welded tank or the like.

Another object of the invention is te` provide an electric ilash welded tank of rolled and `pressed metal stock and in which inside ilash is avoided and the weld is protected from corrosion.

Another object is to provide an electric butt weld between two overlapping concentric circular members ofrolled plate stock.

Another object isv to provide a method of' electric flash welding twooverlapping concentric circular members of' pressed metal stock together.

Another object is to provide a methodv of sealing a circumferential butt weld in atank againstr corrosion from iuid in the tank.

' Another object istoprovide a hot water tank or the like of electric butt welded construction.

under which flash is prevented from entering inside the tank orlodging between the head and shell.

IAnother object is to provide aV method of ilash welding tbe head to the shell of a tank Without injuryto the lining of the tank.

A further object isV to provide a butt welded'hot watertank inwhich the approach to the weld is effectively sealed by insulatingv material in the ilash welding operation.

Other objects of the invention will be clear from the following description and accompanying drawing illustrating the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a tank constructed in accordance with the invention;

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through the as- 'sembi'ed head and shell' just prior to welding;

and

Fie'. 3 is asimilar section through one of the 2 Weldedl joints of Figure 1 andshowing; the completed weld. after. trimming of the. outside ilash.

The sheet metal hot. Water tank with which the invention is illustrated comprisesa cylindrical shell I having ilaredor conical end portions 2. and end heads; 3 and 4 each of which has a peripheral flange 5 that is. of. conical. shape and flares; in. the4 same manner as the corresponding flared' end.2lof'shell I. Each headis provided with a reverse bend 6 providing a cylindrical portion at the edge thereof and is electric flash or resistance butt-welded to a corresponding cylindrical edge portion of end edge 2 of the shell I as at 1.

The shell and heads are provided with a ceramic enamel lining 8 or other protective 1in# ing and the linings thereof. overlap at the respectivev ends of the tank between the ilared portions 2 and corresponding ilangesA 5.

A suitable gasket 9 of asbestos or the like'is gluedtothe shell I or otherwise secured between the linings 8 of the overlapping areas of the head and shell when these parts are assembled together. The gasket 9. during the ilash welding operation prevents flash from entering the inside of the tank and also directs the welding current through the reverse bend 6 rather than across the space between the weld area and the body portion.. of the ilange 5` of the head. In addition the gasket 9 serves to seal the joint between the linings 8 of the head and shell in the approach to the weld. A softy gasketr I0 of rubber or the like may besecured to gasket 9 midway of the flare, of the head as a positive stop to flow. of confined iluid to the joint.

TheV extreme end II of the ilared end portion 2` ofv the shell'is cylindrical and is axially aligned with the cylindrical end of the reverse bend 6 of the flange 5. of the head so that these'parts maybe readily flashed welded together with relative axial movement of the parts during welding.

Both the heads 3l and 4 are assembled and welded. to the shell I inthesame manner. The assembly andv weldingl of head 4 is shown and is described hereinafter.

Afterflining/the shell I and head 4-wlthvce ramic enamel as described, the insulating gasket 9 is glued or clamped a-roundzthe ilange 5 of the head 4 and in inal position extends into and substantiallyr lls the crevice within the reverse bend 6. The gasket I0 is next secured in place as described.

In carrying outy the welding opera-tion the head 4 is disposed in a, welding machine. whereinl the reverse bend 6 of the head is mounted within the electrode I2. The shell I is also assembled within the welding machine and the ared end portion 2 with the cylindrical eXtreme end I I is mounted within the electrode I3. In this position the end II of the shell I is directly in alignment with the inwardly turned and cylindrical end of the reverse bend 6 of head 4.

The welding electrodes I2 and I3 are connected to a source I4 of electrical power through the transformer I5. Pressure is applied on the electrodes in any suitable manner such as mechanically or hydraulically, not shown, to mvev the same toward each other. Arrows in the drawing indicate the movement of the welding electrodes toward each other to weld the head 4 to the shell I as at 1. The electrodes are moved at j a predetermined controlled rate to maintain the flashing arc between the opposed edgesuntil the edges are sufciently heated and then the edges are' butted under pressure and the welding 'current discontinued to complete the weld.

In the welding operation the clearance between the'conical sections of the head and shell, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is taken up and the conical end portion 2 of the shell and tapered flange '5.oftheghead move toward each other into tight fitting confinement of thegasket 9 therebetween 'asthem'etal of the-members at line I is upset outwardly or flashed away. I

As the shell and head move together during welding, the insulating gasket 9 is tightly compressed therebetween to seal olf the joint and to effect outward upset of the metal at line 1 'and prevent any of the flash from entering the inside of thetank. The gasket 'III is also compressed and'c'onned between the head and shell asthese partsmove together lto act as a positive stop for internal fluid fromv 4reaching the joint area.

yThegasket 9 also eliminatesany'bridging or Isnorting lof the welding current during welding by preventing the current from jumping from end'edge I I to the peripheral flange 5 of the head 'asw'ould be the tendency if the gasket were not `provided to insulate the joint. y"The 'length of the outercylindrcal portion of reversebend 6 should be less-than that of the inner cylindrical portion so that the weld flashing will be adjacent to a cylindricalportion of gasket '95 at all times." 'I "Y The inventionA provides a 'flash welded joint which 'is effectively sealed by an insulating gasket as'ftlie parts' move together in the' welding operation. The inventinalso `is 'effective in providing an "electric flash'weld in sheet metal parts and 'articul'arly in the -welding of circumferential seams as for tank" closures. "`Vari`Ou s embodiments of the invention may be employed'w'ithin 'the scope of the accompanying claim. .1 i a' V I claimz- 'An electric 'flash welded article-comprising a`"pairof sheet metal members having" at least a portion thereof adjacent the wel'ded seam eX- tending in parallel overlappingrelation,` one of 'said' membrsha'vingits edge formed in 'areverse b end and extending toward the -other mem- 'ber-to provide'a substantially cylindrical edge 4portion facing a'v corresponding edge portion of fthe end' edge'of the other' member,v 1an `electric flash butt weldfbetween the'edges of said members, and an insulating gasket disposed between `the overlapping portions of said members and 'extending past theA welded edges and into said reverse bend, said gasket being compressed between said overlapping portions by the movement of the members toward each other during weld- 2. An electric flash welded article, comprising a substantially cylindrical wall having an outwardly flared end, a closure for the end of said 'wall having an outwardly flared flange ldisposed inside the outwardly flared end of said wall and substantially parallel thereto, the outer edge of said iiange having a reverse bend therein to provide a substantially cylindrical edge portion facing a corresponding edge portion of the end edge of said Wall, an electric flash butt weld between said edges, and a compressible insulating gasket disposed between said flared sections and extending past the weld into said reverse bend, said gasket being compressed between the flared sections 'by the movement of said sections toward each other during the welding operation. 3. An electric flash-welded tank, comprising a cylindrical body having its wall liared outwardly `at one end in a generally frusto-conical shape,

a closure for said body'set into said flared end and having a circumferential outwardly Vflared flange complemental to and wedged within said outwardly flared end cf the body, the outer edge of; said ange having a reverse bend therein to provide a substantially cylindrical edge portion facing a corresponding edge portion of the end edge ofv said body, anelectric dash butt weld between said edges for the full circumference of the tank, `and a compressible insulating gasket `ring disposed in said reverse bend andextending past the weld-into theregion of said flaredl sectionswhereby said gasket is compressed between said flared sections during wedging of---the latter by axial movement of the closure into the end ofsaid body in the flash welding operation Iand said gasket-substantially prevents inwardupset x of -the edges in welding. v

Y 4. The method of constructing an electric flash butt welded sheet metal joint with the approach to the joint sealed at one side against circulation ofvuid thereto, comprising forming the sheet metal members to be welded with complementary overlapping portions disposed at an angle to the edge portions and adjacent thereto, constructing a reverse Vbend in one edge portionproviding an edge facing andcomplemental to the opposite edge portion to `be welded-thereto, said reverse bend edge portion extending toward the opposite 'edge portion from'A the side of said reverse bend member," inserting an insulatinggasket between the overlapping portions of said members and extendingv into said reverse bend; applying a welding current to the opposite members and moving the members toward each other to estab- .lish an electric flashing between the opposed edges with the insulation inplace between the members, and nally completing the Weld by forcing the opposed edges together with the gasket confined between said overlapping portions of the membersto seal the approach to the weld.

5. The method of-closing the lend'of a sheet metal cylindrical member, comprising `flaring a portion thereof adjacent the end outwardly in a generally frusto-conical shape, forming a sheet metalend head with an outwardly .ared flange corresponding to the flare of said cylinder end and adapted to be inserted therein to` provide overlapping frusto-conical portions, forminga re,- verse bend on the outer edge of said flange to provide a generally cylindricaledge portion corresponding in diameter to a similar edge portion on said cylinder end, assembling said head in said cylinder with an insulating gasket ring between said overlapping portions and extending into said reverse bend, applying a welding current to the cylinder and head and moving the same relatively axially toward each other to establish an electric flashing between the opposed edges with the insulation between the weld area and said head ange to prevent undesirable current iiow shunting the weld area, and finally completing the weld by forcing the opposed edges together axially of the cylinder with the weld upset forced to the outside by the insulation.

6. The method of constructing an electric ash welded tank, comprising constructing a cylindrical sheet metal tank body with a portion adjacent the end liared outwardly to a generally frusto-conical shape and with the end edge portion substantially cylindrical, constructing an end head of sheet metal with an outwardly flared flange corresponding to the flared portion of said cylinder and adapted to be inserted into the cylinder end with the flange wedged against the flared portion of the cylinder, forming a reverse bend on the outer edge of said flange to provide a cylindrical edge portion directed toward the cylindrical edge portion of said cylinder and of the same diameter, assembling the cylinder and head in an electric ash Welding machine with insulating material disposed in said reverse bend and extending into the space between the flared members and with a gasket ring disposed between the ilared portion of the cylinder and the flared ange of the head, applying a welding current to the opposite edge portions of the cylinder and head and relatively moving the same axially toward each other to establish an electric flashing between the edges with the insulation between the weld area and said head flange preventing current leakage from the weld area, and finally completing the weld by forcing the opposed edges together under substantial pressure, said final welding step serving to compress the gasket ring between the flared members to seal the same against circulation of the iiuid contents of the tank against the weld.

FREDERICK A. GRUETJEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,718,322 Walker June 25, 1929 1,828,340 Reed Oct. 20, 1931 2,239,509 Uecker Apr. 22, 1941 2,263,021 Uecker Nov. 18, 1941 

